Machine for cutting sheet-stock.



W. F.. HUTCHINSON.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET STOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IuIY1,I9I5.

W. F. HUTCHINSON.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET STOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1915.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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W. F. HUTCHINSON.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET STOCK.

APPucATloN FILED xuLY 7, 1915.

1,79,835. Patenlted Apr. 18., 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE COLUMNA PLANOGRAPH CO., WASHINGTON-b. c.

W. F. HUTCHINSON. MACHINE FUR CUTTING SHEET-STOCK,

APPLICATION FILED IULY 7. I9I5.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4- |I||||||||V I I I II ,I UWHNIIIII. III I gy 1 ,I n, my .I m I. om m II INIIIIHIIII IINIII C H C C nu 'UTNITED sTATEs PATEN rica.

WILLIAM F. I-IUTCI-IINSON, OF VALATIE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SPLINT CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING SHEET-STOCK.

Application led July 7, 1915.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM F. HUTCH- i'NsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Valatie, Columbia county, New

rYork, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Cutting Sheet- Stock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for cutting sheets of stock into more or less finely divided articles such as toothpicks, match splints, or other analogous things.

In carrying out my invention I employ a `rotary cutter` head in which the radial knives shear across or turn 1n close proximityy to a single cut-off knife, and the stock is fed across the cut-off knife to the cutter head and is carried by the cutter head across the edge of the cut-off knife so as to sever the stock. Heretofore in machines of this character the cut-off knife has been stationar Y, and it has been found practically impossibleto cut fibrous material with an arrangement of this kind; but in ymy invention I keep the cut-off knife moving and preferably sliding longitudinally at all times, so that as the stock is carried across it by the cutter head, the cut-off knife having a sliding movement will smoothly sever the stock, and itwill have a drawing cut.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved feed and scoring arrangement by which a relatively wide sheet of stock can be fed and severed into a series of parallel strips, which strips will be carried over the cut-off knife to the cutter head and rapidly cut into articles of the desired dimension.

Another object of my invention isto provide means for changing the feed conveniently, so that articles of different sizes can be cut on thesame machine. In my invention I employ a cutter head having numerous radial blades or knives which are spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the stock, and withconsiderable depth, and these blades rotating in close proximity to the cut-off knife, carry the stock across the knife by which it is severed. It will be seen then that the width of these formed articles will depend on the speed of the feed, that is the depth to which the stock is permitted to enter between the blades of the rotary cutter head.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Serial No. 38,440.

A principal object of my invention is to produce a simple, durable and reliable machine of the character above specied, which will work with remarkable rapidity.

My invention is also intended to produce a machine which can be very easily adapted to the purpose of cutting box blanks for small boxes, such as wooden match boXes, confectionery boxes, and the like. Reference is to be had to the accompanylng drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a broken detail end view of a part of the cutter head. Fig. 5 is a detail view showing how a gear is mounted to control the speed of the stock feed. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modification of the machine which adapts it to the purpose of cutting boX blanks, and Fig. 7 is a detail of one of such blanks.

The machine is provided with a suitable frame 10 on the top of which is a table 11, over which the sheet stock 12 is fed as shown in Fig. 3. This stock may beveneer or other material. On the table are gages 13 which are adjustable, and which can be set to fit a sheet of stock of any desired width within the limits of the width of the machine. No novelty is claimed for any of the above arrangement.

The stock is fed forward into the machine by feed rollers 14 which have roughened surfaces, and which are arranged at the inner end of the table 11 so as to impinge on the stock and carry it into the machine. These rollers are mounted on shafts 15. and 16, and have vertically adjustable bearings as shown at 17 so that they can be raised or lowered to, suit different thicknesses of stock. This arrangement is not novel, and is not referred to in detail.

The shafts 15 and 16 carry rotary scoring knives 18 and 19 which shear past one another, and are spaced the necessary distance apart so as to cut the stock 12 into parallel strips. The shafts 15 and 16 are connected by gears 20 and 21 so that they will turn in unison but oppositely, and the shaft 15 is moved by a gear wheel 22 which in turn meshes with a gear wheel 22a secured to a stud 23, the latter turning in a box 24 which yis adjustable in a slot 24;l of the strap or bracket 25, this having one end extending over the shaft 15, and the other secured to the machine frame as shown in Fig. 2.' The stud 23 also carries a gear wheel 26 meshing with and driven by a gear wheel 27 on the main shaft 28. It will be seen, therefore, that by changing the gear 22a on the stud 23, and replacing it with a larger or smaller one as desired, and then adjusting the bearing of the stud so as to have the gear 22L mesh with the gear 22, the speed of the steek feed can be regulated.

It will be noticed that the teeth of the gears 26 and 27 mesh loosely so as to permit a certain amount of lost motion, and this amounts in fact to an intermittent feed, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. The shaft 28 carries a cutter head 29 which will be hereinafter referred to, and

between the blades of which the stock enters. rIhe shaft is provided with tight and loose pulleys as shown at 30, though it can be driven by any approved means.

As the stock 12 is fed into the machine by the feed rollers 14, it passes between spring feed plates 31 and 32 which are spaced apart and arranged one above the other as best shown in Fig. 3, the upper plates being secured to the cross-piece 33 on the machine frame (see Fig. 1) yand the lower plates being secured in a recess 34 at the inner end of the table 11 as shown in Fig. 3. These spring feed plates have the necessary resiliency to permit the stock to move slightly up or down, and they carry the stock over the cut-off knife 35 which extends the entire width of the stock feed, and

is secured to the sliding block 36. The knife can be attached and adjusted in any usual way, and as shown it has slots 37 which receive fastening bolts 38 extending into the block 36 while the knife can be set up vertically by means of bolts 39 extending through a part of the block and abutting with the lower edge of the knife. Nothing novel is claimed for this fastening arrangement, and any suitable fastening means for the knife can be employed.

The block 36 is recessed in its middle p0r-` tion so that the ends overlap the ends of the cutter head 29 as shown in Figs. laand 3, thus leaving the edge of the knife 35 in close proximity to the cutter head, so that the blades of the latter can shear past it as the cutter head rotates. An important feature of the arrangement of the cut-off knife is that it is constantly sliding. This sliding can be effected in any convenient way, but as shown the knife block has a dovetailed tongue 40 sliding on a correspondingly shaped part of the frame, and .has at the end a bracket or arm 41 which isvf grooved as shown at 42 to receive the cam collar 42n on the shaft 28, so that as the shaft rotates, the knife block 36 and the knife 35 which it carries, will slide constantly backward and forward.

'The cutter head 29 has radial blades 43 (see Figs. 1 and 4) which are spaced apart so that the stock 12 can readily enter between them, and the depth between the blades is suflicient to permit the stock to enter to any necessary extent. rThese blades are preferably, though not necessarily, detachable, and fit in corresponding grooves in the head 29, and they are also preferably hooked slightly as shown at 44 in Fig. 4, so that this hooked between the blades and the knife, after which the severed portions will be carried down and delivered into the chute 46 which is prepared to receive them. The advantage of the arrangement described is that the cutting is much smoother than in ordinary machines of this nature, andthe operation is wonderfully rapid. It will be noted that there can be any desired number of blades on the head 29, that numerous strips of stock can be fed over the knife edge 35, and that all the strips are simultaneously cut and the machine is capable of being highly speeded.

Another important feature of the arrangement of the yblades of the cutter head and the sliding knife 35 is that the blades and knife do not dull readily, owing to the manner in which they move with relation to each other, and the stock is cut with comparatively little consumption of power.

In Fig. 6v I have shown how the machine can be very easily adapted to cutting box blanks such as are used for making wood boxes for matches, or for cutting sheet stock for other small box blanks. In adapting the machine for this purpose the cutter head is madev with the blades43 farther apart, and with deeper recesses between them, as the blanks are necessarily wider than match splints, toothpicks, or the like, and the feed is of course made to carry the stock 12 forward the right distance over the cut-oftl knife 35. I arrange an extra set of feed rollers 47 and 48 (see Fig. 6: behind the feed rollers 14, so that the stock will be held perfectly flat on the table 11 between the inner andl outer set of feed rollers. Stationary scoring knives 49 are arranged in a crossbar 50 which is attached to themain frame so as to plow out V shaped scoring grooves 51 at parts corresponding to the corners of the blank 52, and the scoring knives 18 and 19 are placed the right distance apart to cut the stock 12 into strips the width of the blank The machine otherwise works precisely as already stated, that is to say the stock is fed forward by the feed rollers 14rand the rollers 47 and A8, is scored b v the scoring knives e9, is slit into strips of the right width by the score knives 18 and 19, and is cut ofl" by the knife 85 and blades 43, as already stated.

Attention is called to the fact, which will be readily seen by reference to F ig. 2, that when the stock is being cut olf by reason of the blades 13 shearing across the edge of the knife 85, the feed will be stationary because of the lost motion between the teeth of the gear wheels 26 and 27.

I claim l. A machine of the kind described comirising a. rotatable cutter head having radial blades spaced apart from each other, a longitudinally sliding knife block moving parallel with the axis of the cutter head, a cam turning in unison with the cutter head and connected with the knife block to slide it, a cut-oft1 knife secured to the knife block with its edge shearing across the blades of the cutter head, and means for feeding stock across the edge of the cut-olf knife and be tween the blades of the cutter head.

A machine of the kind described comprising a longitudinally sliding cut-off knife, a rotating head having blades spaced apart and moving near the edge of the cutoff knife, and means for feeding sheet stock across the edge of the cut-off knife and into the recesses of the cutter head.

3. A machine of the kind described comprising a longitudinally reciprocating cutolf knife, a rotating cutter head having its axis parallel with the cut-off knife, blades on the cutter head spaced apart and moving in close proximity to the cut-olf knife, and means for feeding sheet stock across the edge of the cut-off knife and between the blades of the cutter head.

e. A machine of the kind described comprising a rotating cutter head having radial blades spaced apart. a longitudinally reciprocating cut-oil' knife arranged opposite the cutter head and at a tangent to the face of the cutter head, whereby the blades of the cutter head shear against the edge of the cut-off knife, and means for feeding sheet stock across the edge of the cut-O' knife and between the blades of the cutter head.

5. A machine of the kind described comprising a. rotatable cutter head having radial blades spaced apart from each other, a longi tudinally sliding knife block recessed to receive the cutter head and with its end portions overlapping the edges of the cutter head, and a. cut-o knife secured to the knife block and with its edge arranged to shear across the outer portions of the cutter head blades.

6. A machine of the kind described coinprising a rotating cutter head having radial blades-spaced apart from each other, alongitudinally sliding cut-off knife arranged adjacent to the cutter head so as to shear across the blades of the cutter head, and means for adjusting the knife with relation to the cutter head.

7. A machine of the kind described comprising a rotating cutter head having radial blades spaced apart from each other, a longitudinally sliding cut-off knife arranged at a tangent to the cutter head and with its edge shearing across the outer portions of the cutter head blades, and a cam mechanism for imparting motion to the cut-off knife.

8. A machine of the kind described comprising a rotating cutter head having radial blades hook shaped in cross section, and a longitudinally sliding knife parallel with the axis of the cutter head and with its edge arranged to shear across the hooked edges of the cutter head blades.

9. A machineof the kind described come prising a rotating cutter head having radial blades spaced apart from each other, a longitudinally sliding cut-off knife parallel with the axis of the cutter head and with its edge in close proximity and tangential to the outer portions of the cutter head blades, feed rollers to feed sheet stock to the cutter head and across the edge of the cut-olf knife, and scoring knives arranged in sets to slit the stock into sheets.

10. A machine of the kind described comprising a rotating cutter head having parallel blades spaced apart from each other, a. longitudinally sliding cut-olf knife shearing across the face of the cutter head, feeding means to feed sheet stock across the cutoff knife and between the blades of the cutter head, and resilient guide plates eX- tending from the feeding means to a point adjacent to the edge of the cut-0E knife.

11. A machine of the kind described comprising a rotating cutter head having knives spaced apart on its face, a longitudinally sliding cut-off knife with its edge adjacent to the face of the cutter head, feeding means to feed sheet stock across the edge of the cut-off. knife and between the blades of the cutter head, and means for changing the speed of said feeding means.

l2. A machine of the kind described comprising a constantly rotating cutter head having blades spaced apart on its face, a longitudinally sliding cut-off knife parallel with the cutter head and with its edge near the face of said cutter head, and an intermttent feed for feeding the stock across the edge of the cut-0E knife and between the blades of the cutter head.

13. A machine of the kind described comprising a rotating cutter head having blades spaced apart on its face, a cut-ofi1 knife sliding longitudinally parallel With the aXis of the cutter head with its edge adjacent to the blades of the cutter' head, means for feeding stock across the edge of the cut-0E knife and between the blades of the cutter head, means for slitting the stock into parallel strips, and means for scoring said strips.

'14. A machine of the kind described comprising means for feeding sheet stock, a cutoff knife movable longitudinally and transversely of said stock feed and with its edge arranged to come in Contact With the stock, and means rotating opposite the knife for moving the stock against the edge of the cutofi' knife to sever it.

WILLIAM F. HUTCHINSON. l/Vitnesses:

WARREN B. HUTCHINsoN, ARTHUR G. DANNELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents. Washington. I). C. 

